The presiding judge at the corruption trial of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich has denied a defense motion for a mistrial based on some of his rulings in the nearly three-week-long proceedings.
After jurors left the courtroom during a break Tuesday, Judge James Zagel said the motion dealt with a perception that he’d improperly sustained some objections by prosecutors.
Zagel says the motion also mentioned his comment to a defense attorney that he should stop repeating the same question because if jurors hadn’t understood his point by then, the defense should “abandon all hope.” The judge says he didn’t see the comment as prejudicial.
Blagojevich has pleaded not guilty to charges including scheming to sell or trade President Barack Obama’s old Senate seat and racketeering.
Copyright 2010 Associated Press.
